The Cetra Tribes
by Riku54-Vincent's Demon
Summary: 2000 years ago, the Cetra lived but so did Jenova, but Jenova was free and killing everyone. Who were the few cetra who lived? Find out how the came to face their deadilest enemy that destroyed their race...
1. Prologue

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**2,000 years before the events of Final Fantasy VII...Jenova came**

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**The Cetra Tribes-Part One**

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The Cetra Tribes

Prologue

A light lit the sky and a young girl looked up, the fear shining in her clear blue eyes. "Shekai, what is that?" she asked, raising one of her fingers to point out the object in the sky. She could hear the warnings echoing through her mind, the Planet telling her that things were about to go horribly wrong and much death will befall them, but the young girl did not understand, so she did not voice what she heard. Instead, she turned to face the young woman standing next to her. Shekai, the tribe's leader who decided everything. At the moment, Shekai was dressed in a shirt made of green-dyed cloth that had thin strps on it that were barly noticible through her strands of long brown hair that fell down her shoulders and back. Shekai's own blue eyes reflected the glowing light in the night sky and the young girl could sense her older sister's nervousness and unease. Shekai's skin was pale and she had marking on her face, symbols that looked like green scratch marks.

Shekai turned to look down at the girl and gave a very small smile that was barley noticible, "I don't know, Jenari, I just don't know." It was clear that Shekai could hear the Planet too, just like everyone else. They were, after all, the Cetra, the ones who could speak to the planet. Jenari bit her lip and looked down at the snow beneath her feet. She was dressed simarly to Shekai, except her clothing was a darker shade of green and she wore pants, not shorts. Either way, it seemed as if they were oblivious to the elements, but of course, it was in their blood to live in the Northern region, so they could not feel cold.

"Are we going to die?" Jenari found herself asking. That was when Shekai's eyes widened and the fear became very clear on her face. She frowned deeply and put an arm around her sister's shoulders.

"No, Jenari. We won't die. The Planet will not let us go that easily," Shekai tried to reassure her younger sister. Jenari wasn't convinced.

"But how do you know, Shekai?" Jenari asked. She barley stood at four feet tall and was rather short compared to her five foot ten sister. She looked at her sister's staff that Shekai always carried with her-a symbol that she led the Northern Cetra Tribe and stared deeply into the icy blue materia that was in the first slot. Then there was a fiery red materia. Jenari shuddered. Her sister had the Shiva materia, the summon that was very powerful up where the snow was abundant and temperatures dropped to below seventy-minus seventy that is.

"I don't, but still, I sense that whatever is up there, will not kill us-I hope. But...one can never know until it has been declared, right?" Shekai asked, repeating the wise words her mother had said when they were still young. Jenari was young. She was only ten years old, while her sister was tenty-two. "And...I don't believe that whatever that is in our sky; I do not believe it will fall until a long time has past. Yes, a long time..."

"Are you sure?" Jenari had to know. Her sister knew everything! She had always answered her questions before, so why should she be so uncertain now?

"We will have to wait and see. Just wait and see..."

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**A/N: Sorry it's short, but it was supposed to be. I hope you like it so far! R&R please!**

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	2. Chapter 1

**Sorry for such a long wait! Here ya go!**

Chapter One

A loud, horrible cry split the crisp night air. Jenari clawed at the snow, screaming in pain and agony as she felt the heat coming off of the things that had just crashed into the Planet. Her own screams, however, were drowned out by a horrible ripping and churning sound as the large, flaming rock buried its self into the Planet, cutting a deep gash into the soil. Jenari could feel the heat of the flames against her face as she looked around in wild terror, but even as she did, she felt the ground giving away underneath her. Gasping in shock, Jenari clawed even more fiercely at the snow, trying to keep from falling, but even as she did, it was hopeless. Jenari was going to fall; fall into the abyss that awaited her.

Screaming again, Jenari felt hot tears begin to stream down her face as she slipped. "Help me!" she yelled, wishing that she had never even attempted to come out to the furthest Northern point without anyone with her. She was alone and at the wrong place at the wrong time. No one could have predicted the thing in the sky would have fallen so quickly with such force and power. Shockwaves were still rippling through the atmosphere, sending large, shocking currents along with it, which had made Jenari collapse in the snow.

Now, she knew, that for the last ten years as they wait for the thing to hit their Planet, it had and it had, indeed, brought death with it. She screamed against as her fingers dug deep into the snow. Jenari forced herself to stay halfway up on the ground, but the snow she was clutching was melting, and melting fast. Water already soaked her clothes and hands. She was sweating from the heat of the flames as the roar around her, burning somehow that Jenari could not figure out. She had thought fire had to have something to feed it to burn, but no, this fire was strange, even the snow did not quail its fierce, scorching fire. "Please! Somebody, anybody! Help me!" she yelled against, her voice becoming rather hoarse from screaming so much. Again, there was no answer.

Just as Jenari thought she was going to die, a figure appeared out of the flames, walking right through them as if they weren't there. It was a woman. The woman was rather young and had long silver hair. Her green eyes stared at Jenari for a moment. The woman had very pale skin and the flames reflected it, and even standing so close to the heat, the woman seemed unbothered. "Help me!" Jenari grunted, trying to pull herself up again, but that only resulted in making her slid even further towards her death.

Just as Jenari was certain the woman would let her die, the silver-haired stranger rushed forward, dropping to her knees, she pulled Jenari up, dragging her through the snow. At the woman's touch, Jenari felt a cold rush through her blood and felt rather woozy. She couldn't hear the Planet's voice anymore. She couldn't hear its pained cries, or its warnings...there was only silence. And then as Jenari stared at the woman who continued to drag her, she fainted, her head dropping into the snow. But even within the back of her mind, as soon as Jenari's head had hit the snow, she knew that it was not snow-not entirely at least. No, it was thick and warm. _Just like blood._

-

When Jenari awoke, she did not know where she was at first. Blinking her clear blue eyes, she sat up and groaned, clutching her stomach. She felt sick and pained. Seeing no one in the room with her, Jenari lifted up her shirt to look at the skin. It was red and shiny, like it had been burned, which it probably had. Groaning again, she laid back down and turned her head to the left and looked out the window.

It was dark out and off in the distance, she could see a bright light. That was when she remembered. She had fainted and that woman had saved her! Now to find out where she was…Jenari groaned, mouthing, "Planet, what's wrong, why can't I hear you?" and then closed her eyes, well aware that she could not walk. It was true, the Planet's voice had just left her; it was silent.

Suddenly she heard the creaking of a door and opened her eyes and looked up to meet the face of her older sister, who was now thirty-two and the creepy green-silver eyes of the woman who had saved her life.

"Jenari!" her older sister gasped out, her blue eyes shining with joy, "you're awake!" Jenari couldn't help but smile at Shekai despite her pain. Her sister always had a way of making Jenari feel better when she was down or feeling bad. Shekai rushed over to her and wrapped her arms around Jenari, hugging her tightly. The silver haired woman hung back, looking at both of them without any emotion.

When Shekai drew back, Jenari turned her eyes on the other person in the room and looked at her questioningly, "Thank you for saving my life," she blinked her eyes slowly, as if showing her gratitude, and slowly nodded her head as she did so. "What is you name?"

The woman did not seem to acknowledge Jenari at first, but then she shook herself a little and then responded in a light and calm, friendly voice, "Jenova; Jenova is my name. I come from the Eastern Cetra Tribe,"

Jenari blinked, surprised. If this woman came from way over on the Eastern Continent, why was she over here? Just as Jenari was about to ask her, Shekai glanced at her sister and then spoke up quickly, "Jenari, Jenova is going to stay with us for a little while. And also, I need to ask you something...Have you seen my Cure3 materia anywhere? I seemed to have misplaced it in all of this chaos,"

If Jenari had expected anything from her sister, it certainly hadn't been about materia. Shekai _never_ lost a materia that she kept with her. Blinking, Jenari stared at her sister in surprise for a moment and then shook her head. She knew that this was bad. Not much materia was found up in this region and a Cure3 materia was important for frostbite and sickness, even occasional monster attacks an for more drastic measures-the ice dragons that lived up in the snowy areas around the great glacier. "I'm sorry, I haven't seen your Cure3 materia ever since I headed out towards the Northern Point,"

"Oh...hm, well I guess I'll just have to keep looking," Shekai sighed and then turned to face Jenova, "If you're tired, Jenova, you can stay in the guest room upstairs. And thank you again for saving my sister. I don't know what I would have done if I had known she had died up there,"

Jenova simply nodded and then turned and left. Both women watched her go and then Jenari sat up, wincing in pain, but she looked at her sister. She needed to talk with Shekai. Something told her not to trust Jenova, no matter what she had done. "Shekai," Jenari began, but Shekai turned her bright blue eyes on her sister and then pushed her back onto the pillows.

"You need to sleep, Jenari. I can't have you getting sick on me; there's too many problems to handle at the moment without you adding to them," Shekai's voice was not unkind, but caring. Jenari sighed and then narrowed her icy blue eyes at her older sister.

"It's important, Shekai," Jenari stated bluntly, but Shekai merely waved her off and said something about talking in the morning and then left. Sighing heavily, Jenari pulled the covers up over her chilled body and closed her eyes. Softly, she whispered, "Planet, where are you?" But again, there was no response. Had she truly lost her ability to speak with the Planet or was it just being silent trying to heal its self from the giant wound it had received?

-

Jenari awoke early the next morning, feeling rather sick. She had a head ache and her arms felt weak, and she found she couldn't move so well either. Groaning, she opened her eyes and was met by the sharp light of the sun fluttering through the window. Jenari quickly shut her eyes, breathing heavily as if she were out of breath. Sick...so sick...

"Shekai..." she whispered, "Planet...help me...I'm sick...I hurt...so bad...I feel like I'm-" Jenari didn't get to finish that as her door opened to reveal Shekai coming over to her, holding something. As soon as Shekai set eyes on her younger sister, she gasped out in shock and nearly dropped what she was holding.

"Jenari!" Shekai gasped out, covering her mouth with her hand, her blue eyes wide with shock. Jenari could only look at her sister with questioning eyes as she buried herself deeper under the covers, suddenly feeling very chilled. "You look very sick! It's a good thing I found this Cure3 materia!" Shekai exclaimed, rushing quickly to her sister's bedside.

Dropping down to her knees, Shekai placed her fingers on Jenari's cheek and titled her head so that Shekai was looking into her eyes. "Okay, Jenari, you've caught something-something bad. But I'm going to cure you, okay?" It was clear that Shekai had realized how bad Jenari's condition was. That was, until she said, "I know this isn't going to help you any, but last night while you were asleep, I was called out. You know Zeran, right? Well, his daughter, Marcie, had fallen sick. Very sick. Sh-she died not long after I got there. There was nothing I could do and...and...I-I think you've got the same thing,"

"Wh-What?" Jenari mustered, staring at her sister in horror. So it was true...she was going to die. She had fallen ill with some deadly disease and now she was going to die... "But...ten years ago...your promised me that I wouldn't die..." Jenari reminded her sister.

Shekai gave her a weak smile, "I did, didn't I? Well I don't plan on letting you go yet, Jenari. Now, focus with me. Focus you're mind on the Planet-on the Lifestream-Ask them to heal you while I us this Cure3 materia,"

Now it was Jenari's turn to give weak smile, "There's one problem, Shekai..." she whispered, wincing as the head ache's pounding in her head continued to attack her and zapped her of her strength. The wound on her stomach burned like fire and her breathing became worse.

"What's that?" Shekai asked, confusion and question glowing in her eyes. It was obvious that the two sisters had grown close ever since their parents had died fifteen years ago. Shekai had always protected her sister, who was still young, from harm. Their little brother, or rather, Jenari's older brother, at age eight, had died from an ice dragon attacking the Cetra Tribe of the North. Shekai was not going to lose another sibling so soon; Jenari was her only family left.

"I can't seem to contact the Planet anymore...Gaia is quiet, Sister," Jenari said quietly, looking away from her sister in shame. Shekai looked shocked.

"You're telling me that you can no longer hear the Planet? Oh, Jenari! This is bad!" Shekai groaned, but then she remembered the materia she held in her hands. Quickly, she used it on her sister. Jenari blinked at the soft green glow that surrounded her.

Slowly her wounds were healing and her energy was returning. Was she going to live? As soon as the green vanished, Jenari sat up in bed, feeling no pain at all where her burn had been. Her headache had even vanished. "Are you better?" Shekai asked. Jenari blinked, still feeling a little nauseous.

"A little," she replied after a moment or two. Shekai blinked and cast yet another Cure3 on Jenari. Again the warm sensation spread through her body, but as Shekai looked at her sister, she spoke, "Shouldn't you save your magic for others too?"

Shekai gave her a weak smile and nodded, "You're right, I should save it," Standing up right, Shekai looked down at her younger sister, "are you sure you're alright without it?"

Jenari nodded simply, she did not want to worry her sister. She would be fine, Jenari was sure she would. But in the back of her mind, something nagged at her, telling her that she would meet her death if she did not hurry and cure a disease that was spreading through her body. Jenari was sick, she would not deny it any longer. As she sat up, deciding that she had to find the source for the disease, what had given it to her?

It could not have been the torrent of Lifestream that had spewed from the gash in the Planet, could it? No, Jenari crossed that thought out. The Planet would never harm her Cetra, no. So then what? When had she last heard that Planet speaking to her? And then, that was when she knew. Something told her, some voice cried out to her. The voice rang through her ears. '_JENOVA.'_ Jenari knew that someone had spoken to her. It was not the Planet, no. This voice was quiet, ad weak, as if crying. It was a female's voice. Desperate, hating the name of Jenova, longing for something. Who was speaking to Jenari? _'PLANET HELP US!'_

-

The cold bit in his skin as his eyes opened slowly. He blinked, shivering. All around him lay snow. Snow that stretched for miles, like an eternity never to come to an end. The confusion shone in his dark green eyes as he sat up in the chilling snow. No, chilling was an understatement. More like freezing. He shivered again, his silver hair spilling behind his back. Slowly, he lifted himself to his feet, shaking. He knew where he was, but he did not understand. How was he so cold now, when before, the cold had never bothered him?

Shaking his head slowly, the silver-haired swordsman began walking towards the Icicle town, the only small village for many hundreds of miles in the vast, frozen land. He did not know where he was exactly on the frozen terrain, but he knew where to go. That would help him. Hopefully.

Walking through the deep snow, he suddenly became aware of something ahead. The silver-haired warrior wasn't exactly sure what it was. It was most certainly not the Icicle village was it? Peering closer at it, he shook his head slowly, confused even more. No, it was not the small village of friendly people who dared live in such climates. This was something entirely different. The houses there did not look relatively close to the houses and shops in the Icicle town. Where was he?

Glaring at the small village ahead, he continued trekking towards it. It did not take him long to enter the snow covered village. As soon as his right foot made an impression in the snow, a loud yell rang out through the area. His Mako green eyes flashed as he scanned the village. Who had screamed? No one was outside except for one young girl around his age. She was rushing towards an oddly designed house, caring something in her hand. He squinted, able to make out the faint glow of a Cure materia.

He did not care about some stupid materia. Turning away from the girl, he trained his eyes on the house the woman had come running out of. He had noted her clothes, how strange they were. They were made of thin material and hardly enough to keep someone warm in these temperatures. The people in this village were strange.

As his eyes landed on the house the woman had come out of her, he suddenly felt something claw at his mind. Freezing on spot, the silver-haired warrior's Mako eyes widened. He felt 'her' presence inside of his mind. An image of a young girl surround by flames, crying, filled his mind's eye for a moment. And then it was gone. "Where are you?" he growled, his voice harsh.

'She' was in this village. Now that he was no longer tied to her like some sort of puppet, the strings cut by death its self, he knew he could resist anything she threw at him. Hopefully, he could, at least. Standing there, he came to realize that the cold around him was not going to help him get warm. Glaring at the snow, he rushed towards the house.

He did not care if he was unwelcome or not. He never had before, why should he start now? Shrugging it off, he opened the door and was greeted by a rush of warmth. Hurrying inside, he shut the door behind him. Just as he was about to turn around, a silky voice sounded, "I see you are in a rush to get out of the cold. What brings you here?"

Spinning around, the warrior stiffened, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade. His blade hug at his hip. It was long, longer than most swords. At least a good nine or ten feet long, maybe eleven. It was thin, too, thin and extremely sharp. Much blood had been spilt when he used this blade.

His eyes came to rest on a young woman sitting on a couch. She had eerie green eyes, and long silver hair. Her skin was very pale and her thin lips were twisted into a small smile. She seemed friendly, but he did not fall for it. "Jenova!" he spat, his voice quiet and cold.

Jenova gave him a look, and then stood up. "How is it that you know me? Has it already gotten around that I am visiting from the Eastern Tribe?" Jenova asked. She was acting so innocent.

"Shut your rambling! Are you so stupid to forget everything you did to me at the Northern Crater? Made me kill that girl? Told me to kill everyone in that village? How could you forget me? I'm Sephiroth, your damned puppet, _Mother_!" he snarled, drawing his sword. The way he said 'Mother' was so harsh and offending, the Jenova narrowed her eyes at him, seemingly unfazed by his action.

Sephiroth grew even more rageful, but his rage vanished at the sound of a loud cough from somewhere in another room. Looking around, he was careful not to let his guard down. He hadn't sensed it before, but now he felt another presence in the house besides Jenova. "Who else is in this house, Jenova?" he growled.

Jenova gave him a wicked grin, for an instant, her true nature flashed before Sephiroth's eyes. He saw the demon that had led him to do such terrible things again. And then the image was gone. "A young Cetra girl. Her name is Jenari. Though I am afraid that is the least of your concerns by how you are acting. I still do not understand how you know who I am."

Sephiroth ignored Jenova. He could sense that the young teen was sick. Very sick. _'The Cetra were killed by Jenova. She gave them a virus, killing them off one by one. The mutations within the Cetra body would make them become deformed. They would bleed, they would hurt and suffer. Jenova watched under her many, seemingly friendly disguises. But soon, the few remaining Cetra came together and combined their magic. Jenova was sealed within ice, never to be heard from until 2,000 years later.'_ The words flashed through his mind. Cetra…that girl was a Cetra. Was that even possible? Sephiroth had killed the last remaining Cetra in the Temple of the Ancients! This girl could not be a Cetra! Jenova was lying again. Lying to him like she had done for so long.

"You lie. Every last Cetra on the face of the Planet is dead. I killed the last remaining one under a year ago. Who is the girl and why is she sick? Is it because of the cold?" Sephiroth growled, giving Jenova the evil eye.

Jenova's grin widened and she nodded slowly, "Yes…because of the…cold." She did not convince Sephiroth. And then a thought occurred to him. Why did Jenova look human? She had never looked so human to him unless you count the time in Nimbelheim when he had cut her head off and took that with him because of the injury he had been given by his enemy, Cloud Strife.

"Why do you look human, Jenova? Why don't you show your true self to everyone like you do me?" he questioned, the grip on the Masamune tightening. He had so many questions, and no answers that Jenova was willing to give. His Mako eyes locked with her own and he growled lowly, staring at her.

"What do you mean? I have always looked like this," Jenova replied innocently. Her green eyes moved away from him as she lied, blinking. Sephiroth could see the clear confusion on her face. _'Seemingly friend disguises,'_ Jenova was hiding from the Planet. Now Sephiroth had realized how stiff Jenova looked.

"Don't fake it, Jenova. You come from somewhere else other than this Planet. I am no fool. You killed the Cetra 2,000 years ago," Sephiroth told her in a rough, angry voice.

Now Jenova turned to face him, a light in her eyes, "But I have not been on this disgraced Planet for two days yet," There was no lie in her eyes. Sephiroth knew. He was not in the present time, but the past. The Cetra were all still alive, Jenova was killing them with her virus. The Planet must have sent him here through the Lifestream where past, present, and future come together.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

A loud gasp of utter shock tore from the young woman's lips. Her fingers dug into the soil, her emerald eyes shut tightly. Her mouth was opened in a silent scream as a sharp voice rushed into her mind, keeping her an unbearable headache. Pain entwined with her own body; the source of pain was, of course, from Gaia, the Planet. After a few more seconds, the agonized screams subsided along with the pain. All was quiet in the young woman's head.

She raised her head, moaning from the sudden trauma of hearing such loud screams and sufferings from her beloved Planet. "Where am I?" she mumbled, picking herself up from the ground. The young woman looked around and saw vast grasslands everywhere. Then she looked down at herself and was shocked. Her usual pink clothes were replaced by dark green clothing that wrapped around her upper body. There were no straps, only thin ties in the back. It was rather tight around her chest, cutting off her air for only a few seconds before he body became used to the pressure. The lower half of her body was covered in a dark skirt. It was designed to be able to run in, not to long that it would trip or slow her down, just right.

-You are in the Eastern Cetra Tribe's land, young one- A voice suddenly entered the young woman's mind. She nearly jumped, not expecting it, but then she came to realize it was only the Planet speaking with her.

"What do you mean? Do you mean the Eastern Continent?" the young woman looked around, "How am I here, Planet? I was supposed to be dead-Sephiroth killed me."

-Yes, I understand your confusion, child. You must understand that Sephiroth is alive once more. He is not your enemy, though. Make friends with him because you will need his strength if you are to win this of coming war. I cannot warn the other Cetra, for they cannot hear me. I am your Planet, Aeris, I am the Planet that comes from your time. I have sent you back in time to face Jenova. Beware of her, she seeks to kill. I am sure you have heard the story of how that creature killed my Cetra?-

Aeris nodded, "How could I not?" She had a lot of questions to ask the Planet. How was she supposed to trust Sephiroth? He had killed her! "But, Gaia, if I'm supposed to become friends with Sephiroth…where is he?"

-In the Northern Cetra Tribe. He is with a young Cetra girl who is already sick with the disease. When you find him, Cetra Aeris, I want to you find the five Cetra who are to help you in your journey. One will be so much harder to find, she is hiding from you and yet, she doesn't even realize it. Find her and you will be able to begin-

-

Jenari raised her head, moaning in pain as her headache returned to her, worse than before. She felt so weak, but she was immensely curious about who Jenova was talking to in the other room. Sitting up, she wiped the sweat away from her face and got out of bed. When her feet touched the ground, Jenari believed she was going to fall.

Her fingers caught onto the bed sheet, clinging to it as she tried to regain her balance. The sheet was slipping from the bed, but before it could fall to the ground with her, Jenari recovered. Shakily, she turned to the door and began walking-no stumbling-towards it. She could hear Jenova and a man speaking. Could this have been someone from Jenova's Tribe down in the East? Where were they all coming from anyway? '_TRAITOR'_

Jenari nearly fell again from surprise. That girl's voice had come back to her. She did not yet know who the girl was or how she was speaking with her. It was impossible to really know because Jenari had figured out that the girl was not speaking to her, but someone else. Or, either that, the crying girl was speaking with her and another. Jenari could not decide on that one. '_RUN! FLEE! DANGER! BLOOD! MURDER! KILL!'_

"What is wrong with the Cetra girl, Jenari?" the man asked after a few moments of silence. Jenari blinked her sapphire blue eyes, a streak of mistrust suddenly flaring in her blood. His voice…so familiar yet so foreign, who was he? "You have made her sick, now what kind of disgusting disease did you bring upon her?"

"Nothing that really concerns you. I did not make the girl sick. She was sick when I brought her out of the fire and crater," Jenova's voice reached Jenari's ears. It was icy and cold, hating and raging.

Jenari reached the doorframe and leaned against it. Her eyes were full of pain as she looked into the living room. Her eyes landed on a tall man with long silver hair. His skin was pale. She noticed that he had odd glowing green eyes that were narrowed in utter rage. His thin lips were twisted into an unkind frown and a hand rested on a long sword at his hip. It looked as if he had just sheathed it.

Jenari felt her breath suddenly catch in her throat. She tried to breathe in and found it impossible. She began choking, coughing harshly. Two pairs of eyes landed on her as she swayed, clutching the wood of the doorframe. Jenari could feel her fingers slipping from the thin wood though. Her head was bowed as she coughed, her hand covering her mouth.

Her blue eyes caught sight of the silver-haired man looking at her in horror before she fell, crumpling onto the floor. Her body hit the rough wood with a loud thump. Jenari cried out in pain. Her body was so weak and fragile…so horribly weak. As she lay on the floor, her hand fell limply from her mouth and lay out beside her. There was blood on it. _'DEATH. SICK. YOU ARE SICK. DEATHLY ILL, FIND CETRA AERIS,'_

"Cetra Aeris…?" Jenari breathed, her voice very audible. She could feel the darkness in her mind growing, threatening to consume her weak body. And then she felt strong arms wrap around her fragile body and lift her from the ground carefully. Her head rested on a warm shoulder that was covered in dark leather. She moaned in pain, muttering a quiet thank you before her eyes closed and she lost all feeling and sense.

--

Shekai sighed, her hand resting on a young girl's forehead. The girl was gasping for air, her eyes dilated from pain. The end was far away from this young girl. She gave a weak cry, her oddly violet eyes closing. Shekai knew that the girl's eyes were usually green, but ever since she had grown sick, her eyes had turned a shade of violet. "How long has she been this was, Taylor?" Shekai asked a young man.

Taylor looked at her with saddened brown eyes. His unusual tanned skin had wrinkles in it from great distress. Her brown hair was combed out. His fingers were drumming on the wood of a table. "Six hours as of ten minutes ago. Is my sister going to be okay?" Taylor asked, his voice cracked with worry.

"I'm sorry, Taylor, but I don't believe so. Her condition is of nothing I have ever seen. Zeran's daughter, just last night, died of similar causes. It happen so slowly, and yet, so quickly. My own sister, Jenari, she is sick to. I'm afraid to tell her that I think she's not going to live either. Her symptoms are so abnormal, just like these. Her eyes haven't changed color or hair, skin tone or anything, but something happened…" Shekai grew quiet, tears filling her eyes.

Taylor, seeing his leader's discomfort, came over, trying not to look at his own sister's dying body, and placed a comforting arm around her shoulder. "Jenari will live, Shekai, if my sister won't, yours will. I'm sure of it, but what happened to her?"

Shekai looked up, tears in her eyes, "The Planet has left her body completely." Taylor's eyes grew wide with shock. Never in the history that remained with them, had the Planet abandoned one of its own.

"When? How? Why?" Taylor couldn't stop the questions from coming out. He looked down at his sister and saw that her eyes had closed and her head was rolling from side to side, blood leaking from the corner of her mouth. Taylor's eyes darkened. Her reached out and wiped the

blood away. "I love you, Sis," he whispered, caressing her face. He knew that she had mere seconds to live. Blood from the mouth was certain death.

Tears began to leak from his eyes as his sister left him, but even so, he felt happy. She was returning to the Planet; she would go to the Promised Land at last. Turning his eyes back to Shekai, he waited for her to answer. Seeing this, Shekai opened her mouth to speak, "She told me this morning…she said that Gaia was silent, but I don't know how that was even possible. Tomorrow, we can ask her if you are up to it. I am sure you want to spend the last for moments with your sister, Taylor."

To Shekai's surprise, he shook his head, "No, Shekai, my sister has already past. She is with the Planet now, in the Promised Land. Now let's go check up with your sister and see how she is doing." Taylor responded in a firm voice, releasing Shekai and moving his hand away from his limp sister. Then he stood up and walked towards the door.

--

Aeris stared. This Planet was so different from the one she was used to. Walking through the grasslands, she let her unbraided hair be carried with the wind. The Planet was guiding her along the way. If she could find the Eastern Cetra Tribe, then it would not take so long to reach the Northern Cetra Tribe as it would on foot.

"Planet, where are the Eastern Cetra Tribe at?" Aeris asked aloud, her eyes brimming with happiness like they usually were.

-You will find them, Cetra Aeris, you will find them. Or rather, they will come to you,-

"What do you-?" Aeris was cut off by a loud growling sound coming from somewhere nearby. She stiffened, her emerald eyes widening in terror. Was there was monster out there? How was she supposed to guard herself? She had no weapon!

Just as Aeris caught sight of a flash of gray, she screamed. Her body was thrown to the ground, a loud rumbling sound in her ears. Aeris opened her eyes in fright to see a gray wolf standing over her, its fangs bared. "Down, Janlie, down," a deep and stern voice growled.

Aeris looked past the wolf, nearly screaming again when she saw a young man approaching her. He was carrying a spear, his hard gray eyes glaring at her. She stared back at him as the wolf backed off, but it continued to give her wary and mistrustful looks. The man bent down next to her, his spear clutched tightly in his hand, "You are you, young woman?"

"I-I-" Aeris couldn't find her voice. She kept looking fearfully at the man and the wolf. She knew she was in danger, she was going to die, they were going to kill her and feed her to the dog. 'No, no, that's something Hojo would do, not this man…would he?' Aeris asked herself in her mind.

"You do have a name don't you?" the man asked as Aeris sat up, giving him looks of great fear. He only raised an eyebrow at her.

"Y-Yes-I am C-Cetra A-Aeris," she replied meekly, shrinking back at Janlie came forward to his master and sat down beside him.

The young man nodded, "Cetra Aeris, I am Garnet. I apologize for my wolf, Janlie, he attacked you wrongly. He believed you to be a threat for some reason. He has never attacked another Cetra before unless ordered to. Tell me, what Cetra Tribe do you come from? Obviously you are not from the Eastern Cetra Tribe, for I have never seen you before,"

Aeris was baffled. What was she supposed to tell this man? That she came from Midgar, her mother, Ifalana, had died when she was seven and she had been adopted by Elmyra. But Midgar did not exist yet because she was the last surviving Cetra until Sephiroth stabbed her in the stomach and back under the influence of Jenova? No…that would make Garnet think she was crazy.

"Um…we'll just say I'm…an outcast for now." Aeris responded, thinking fast. Garnet seemed to not take any notice of her pauses, and if he did, he didn't seem to care because he simply nodded. Aeris watched in great relief as Garnet pointed towards where Midgar would be built 2,000 years into the future. Trees and open grasslands and mountains stood there at the present-er past time.

"My Tribe is this way. You may stay there for a while if you wish," he offered, bowing ever so slightly for her. Aeris smiled weakly, but shook her head.

"I couldn't. I have to reach the Northern Cetra Tribe very soon," Aeris admitted meekly. Garnet nodded, but was quick to reply, "You cannot go defenseless. You may stay in my Tribe tonight, and then I will gladly accompany you up North. Many dangerous monsters live up there and I would be shamed to know I let a young lady such as yourself go unprotected."

Aeris blushed slightly and nodded, "Thank you,"

--

Shekai entered her house with Taylor only to find that Jenari was laying on a couch, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Shekai's eyes widened, she had yet to see the silver-haired man in the shadows, staring at her with narrowed green eyes. "Jenari!" she breathed, rushing over to her sister.

Taylor came with her, reaching the couch. He bent over Jenari, quickly wiping the blood away. "She really is sick. But she's not as bad as my sister was. Shekai, why is Jenari on the couch? I thought you said she was in bed,"

Shekai shook her head, "I don't know, Taylor. Maybe she got up and collapsed or something. Ever since she came back with Jenova after that thing hit in the far north, she's been very ill-and then the whole tribe has this disease. I don't know what's causing it…"

Taylor sighed, "I can't help you there. You're as lost as me. Speaking of which-Where is Jenova?" Taylor looked around and that was when he saw Sephiroth standing in a corner, looking at both of them. Immediately, Taylor straightened up, reaching for the sword at his side, "Who are you?" he demanded in a harsh voice.

Sephiroth gave him a look and then responded in a cold tone, "I am Sephiroth. Jenari-she is sick because of Jenova. Jenova is spreading a disease over the Planet that will kill you all if you don't kill her." Sephiroth glowing eyes watched as Taylor tightened his grip on his sword, "Put your sword away. You cannot possibly defeat me-I am, in your luck, not looking for a fight. I was not sent here to kill you all."

Taylor glared at Sephiroth. Shekai had turned around and was staring at him. Sephiroth merely glanced at her before continuing, "Anyway, the sickness that Jenova is spreading will continue to wipe out your tribe. I don't know how to stop it-I don't believe there is a cure for it, but I suggest you find out how many are sick."

"How do I know you won't hurt Jenari while we're gone?" Taylor spat, his sword still in his hands. He had never used it against another human/Cetra before, only monsters, but he'd protect his friends with it if he had to.

"Because I could have done that a long time ago. I wouldn't harm her-the Planet would not be happy with me if I did…" Sephiroth looked away, muttering something that sounded like, "Damn Planet…won't ever shut up…"

Taylor pretended not to hear that. Instead, he sheathed his sword, knowing what Sephiroth said was true. "Fine, stay here with Jenari. If she wakes up-tell her we're out checking the village. When we come back-if I find that you hurt her in anyway-I'll kill you,"

Sephiroth just rolled his eyes, sighing. "Sure you will. But I'm not going to hurt her for the last time…"

"I don't trust you…Where's Jenova at? How do you know she's causing this sickness?" Shekai asked after a few seconds of silence.

"You Cetra ask too many questions…Jenova is not in the village-and I know because I do. That's none of your concern,"

-

Jenari's eyes opened slowly. Pain flared through her body as she raised herself up into a sitting position. She began to cough harshly, specks of blood appearing on her lips. Quickly Jenari reached up and wiped it away, not realizing it was the warm crimson liquid in her body that kept her alive. Looking around, she spotted Sephiroth sitting on a wooden chair, watching her intently. She avoided looking at him for a moment as she looked around. "Where is Jenova?" she asked, not remembering the conversation that she had heard before she blacked out.

Sephiroth's glowing green eyes narrowed, "She will not be returning to this house-or this village in fact. I am certain of that. Your sister, Shekai, is with Taylor-they are checking the rest of the village for the sickness. I told them I will watch you, now go back to sleep, you are very sick, Jenari,"

Jenari only blinked, staring at Sephiroth with curious blue eyes, "Why did Jenova leave?" she couldn't help but ask. Sephiroth looked away for a second, staring at the door for some reason, and then turned his cold gaze back on her.

"Because Jenova is evil-she made you sick. She has killed at least four others in your tribe. The sickness will continue to spread. I am surprised you are still living. When you fell like you did, I thought the sickness had claimed you until I saw that you were breathing."

Jenari nodded slowly, question reeling through her mind. "What do you mean Jenova made me sick? She saved my life up towards the far north!"

"An act, she put on a heroic act and saved your life, but in truth, you are a mere toy to her. Someone she can use to spread the virus she has created to kill you all. There is no cure for the virus, Jenari. Normally I would have already killed you myself if you are the one to spread the disease, but the Planet wants you alive, so instead, I will protect you-for now," Sephiroth told her darkly. Jenari shuttered in fear, and then began coughing again.

Raising her hand to cover her mouth, Jenari pulled it away, only to notice the specks of blood covering her hand. Her sapphire blue eyes widened in horror. "I'm dying!" she cried, unable to tear her eyes away from the horrible sight. "It's an omen of death!"

"Jenari, true, you are dying, but you will not die until Jenova wills it. She lets those who carry the virus live for as long as she wants, making them suffer cruel deaths. You on the other hand, will not grow as bad as them until the whole Planet is infected. Then you will die unless we find a way to cure your sickness." Sephiroth explained calmly, as if he did not care what happened.

Jenari's eyes darkened with suspicion, "Why should I believe you? Who are you anyway? You don't look like a Cetra! And those clothes-that sword! What the hell are you?" Jenari did not even realize she had just swore.

Sephiroth merely glanced at her and then replied, "I am Sephiroth, if you must know. I come from a different time-brought back to life my the Planet, but placed in the past for my horrid deeds. I am to save as many Cetra as I can before my supposed Mother kills them all."

Jenari stared. "Jenova is your mother?" she gasped out in shock, her eyes bulging Sephiroth nodded, confirming the worst. "But only in a way,' he replied quickly.

-

It didn't take long for Aeris, Garnet, and Janlie to reach the Eastern Cetra Tribe's small village. Aeris entered it, looking swiftly around. It appeared as if the sickness had not yet plagued this village yet. She was relieved.

After a while, Aeris found herself sitting in front of a fire with Garnet, Janlie, and a few other members of the Eastern Cetra Tribe. Janlie was looking at Aeris intently. Aeris shuttered.

She blinked, turning to look at Janlie. "Are you sure your wolf isn't going to attack me?" she asked, giving the large gray wolf a weary look as she inched away from it. "She already did once-and that hurt!"

Garnet turned to look at her and laughed. "Janlie won't hurt you, Aeris. She simply thought you were some sort of creature or something. I was out hunting with her," he reassured her.

"Like that makes me feel any better!" Aeris muttered, turning away from Janlie. "Okay, anyway, I still need to get to the Northern continent-er…the Northern Cetra Tribe to go see…a friend of mine, eh…yeah,"

-So you're already calling Sephiroth your friend? How nice-now if you could HURRY UP before everyone up there dies-then MAYBE we can make some progress!-

'_Oh shut Planet…I'm hurrying as fast as my feet allow!'_

-

Taylor and Shekai had finally finished checking the rest of the village. So far there were three more that were sick, and some who contained symptoms. "Taylor, what if the whole village becomes sick? Then what will we do? This disease is spreading fast with no cure-the whole village could be killed by it." Shekai voiced her worries, her head turning to look at her own house. "I need to get back to Jenari. That man-Sephiroth-I don't trust him."

Taylor blinked, nodding, "We'll fight the disease, Shekai. And about Sephiroth-I don't really trust him either. We shouldn't have left Jenari with him. That sword he carries is evil, I can sense it. Come on, let's go back to your house and see if Jenari's awake. If she's not, then we can question this Sephiroth guy. He isn't a Cetra, I can tell you that."

"I knew that…he scared me with that sword-did you see it? It's at least eleven feet long! Who carries a sword like that around with them?" Shekai asked, staring at Taylor with utter confusion.

Taylor just shrugged, "I don't know, Shekai. He is strange, I'll admit that. And if he's not a Cetra, what the hell is he?"

"Taylor!" Shekai suddenly snapped.

"What?" Taylor asked, turning to face her. Now he was confused. What had he done?

"Don't swear or curse!" Shekai growled.

Taylor grinned, "Opps…Sorry,"

"You'd better be, now come on," Shekai ordered, walking back to her house. Taylor followed, still grinning. He had just done something very stupid…never swear or curse in front of the tribe leader…what an idiot he had been! Oh well…


End file.
